In Summary

• Knut promised to reject the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools stating that it will generate conflicts between teachers and learners.

• They called on the government to abolish all boarding schools to enable parents to take their proper place in punishing their children.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion has vowed to reject the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools stating that it will generate conflicts between teachers and learners.

Sossion Sossion was speaking in Nakuru on Saturday evening after branch union elections at Afraha High School. He maintained that the reintroduction of the cane would endanger the lives of teachers, especially from teenagers.

“We are not going to accept the return of corporal punishment so that teachers can again put in conflict with the learners, to cane the learners.

If the cane is going to be returned let a police officer be posted to every

school. because what is going to happen particularly, the teenagers they are going to kill teachers. We are going to witness mass killing of teachers .” Sossion said.

The unionists called on the government to abolish all boarding schools to allow parents to take their rightful place in disciplining their children.

Sossion at the same time accused the government of killing strong workers’ unions in a bid to exploit workers.

“We want parents to regain their skills of parenting their children after work, and the work of teachers is to impart knowledge and values between 8.00 and 5.00. It is time Kenya faced out boarding system and nobody should resist we know there are business investors who are making money from the existence of boarding schools and they will resist this.” He said.

The Education CS Magoha last week called for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools, stating that capital punishment holds the key to settling cases where “students have grown horns.”

He noted that school fires and attacks on teachers are increasing, indicating a ‘society going to the dogs’.

“I may appear old school but I think we are at a time when we need to discuss how we can bring sanity in our schools and maybe bring the cane on board once more,” Magoha said.

“We are not going to accept that schools be dumping grounds for students who lack proper nurture and good foundation at their homes. It is such parents who again turn against teachers, accusing them of not doing enough to control their children. That should stop,” he said.